Not Equal In JavaScript | Explore How To Use With Examples

Are wondering how to use not equal in javascript? Confused about the proper symbol to be used in your code?

Perfectly, this article is for you! Keep on reading since…

At the end of this article, you will be able to learn and understand what is not equal in Javascript, you will explore the following:

• How to check not equal in JavaScript?
• Example Programs Using not equal operator (!=)
• Example Programs Using strict not equal operator (!==)
• JavaScript Comparison Operators

Now that we know the objectives of this post, let’s get started!

What is not equal in javascript?

In JavaScript, when we want to check if two things are not equal, we can use the “not equal” operator. This operator is represented by either “!==” or “!=”.

Now, there are two versions of this operator: strict and non-strict inequality.

The strict inequality operator, “!==”, compares not only the values of the operands but also their types. If the values are different or the types are different, it will return true.

On the other hand, the non-strict inequality operator, “!=”, only looks at the values of the operands. It doesn’t pay attention to their types. If the values are not equal, regardless of their types, it will return true.

Let’s see an example to understand it better:

var num1 = 5;
var num2 = "5";

console.log(num1 !== num2); // true (strict inequality - different types)
console.log(num1 != num2);  // false (non-strict inequality - equal values)

In this example, num1 is a number, and num2 is a string. Using the strict inequality operator, “!==”, we compare their values and types, which results in true because they are different in both aspects.

However, when we use the non-strict inequality operator, “!=”, it only compares the values, so it returns false since the values are equal, even though the types are not.

So, depending on whether you want to consider both value and type or just the value, you can choose between the strict or non-strict inequality operators.

How to check not equal in JavaScript?

Example Programs Using not equal operator (!=)

Here are some examples of JavaScript programs using the “not equal” operator (!=):

Example 1: Comparing numbers

const sampleNum1 = 44;
const sampleNum2 = 24;

if (sampleNum1 != sampleNum2) {
  console.log("The numbers are not equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The numbers are equal.");
}

Output:

The numbers are not equal.

Example 2: Comparing strings

const sampleString1 = "apple 🍎";
const sampleString2 = "banana 🍌";

if (sampleString1 != sampleString2) {
  console.log("The strings are not equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The strings are equal.");
}

Output:

The strings are not equal.

Example 3: Comparing different data types

const number = 10;
const string = "strawberry 🍓";

if (number != string) {
  console.log("The values are not equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The values are equal.");
}

Output:

The values are not equal.

Example 4: Comparing boolean values

const sampleBool1 = true;
const sampleBool2 = false;

if (sampleBool1 != sampleBool2) {
  console.log("The boolean values are not equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The boolean values are equal.");
}

Output:

The boolean values are not equal.

These examples demonstrate the usage of the “not equal” operator in JavaScript to compare different types of values and determine whether they are equal or not.

Example Programs Using strict not equal operator (!==)

Here are some examples of JavaScript programs using the “strict not equal” operator (!==):

Example 1: Comparing numbers

const number1 = 55;
const number2 = "55";

if (number1 !== number2) {
  console.log("The numbers are not strictly equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The numbers are strictly equal.");
}

Output:

The numbers are not strictly equal.

Example 2: Comparing strings

const sampleString1 = "orange 🍊";
const sampleString2 = "Orange 🍊";

if (sampleString1 !== sampleString2) {
  console.log("The strings are not strictly equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The strings are strictly equal.");
}

Output:

The strings are not strictly equal.

Example 3: Comparing boolean values

const sampleBool1 = true;
const sampleBbool2 = 1;

if (sampleBool1 !== sampleBool2) {
  console.log("The boolean values are not strictly equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The boolean values are strictly equal.");
}

Output:

The boolean values are not strictly equal.

Example 4: Comparing different data types

const number = 105;
const string = "105";

if (number !== string) {
  console.log("The values are not strictly equal.");
} else {
  console.log("The values are strictly equal.");
}

Output:

The values are not strictly equal.

These examples demonstrate the usage of the “strict not equal” operator in JavaScript to compare different types of values and determine whether they are strictly equal or not. The strict not equal operator (!==) checks for both value and type inequality.

JavaScript Comparison Operators

Here are other comparison operators you can utilize and solve different use cases.

To learn more about JavaScript functions here are other resources you can check out:

• How to Replace div Content JavaScript
• Numberformat JavaScript | Formatting Numbers Made Easy
• How to get length of dictionary JavaScript | 3 Methods

Conclusion

In conclusion, this article provides an explanation of the ” not equal” operator in Javascript, which is represented by either “!=” or “!==”.

The strict inequality operator “!==” compares both the value and types of the operands while the non-strict operator “!=” only compares the value.

Further, the given examples and programs demonstrate the usage of both operators for comparing different types of values. In this case, it is important to choose the appropriate operator based on the desired comparison needs.

The article also mentioned, other comparison operators which can be used in various use cases. Overall this article serves as a helpful guide for understanding and using the “not equal” operator in JavaScript.